Minimalist Packaging Design: Best Practices and Inspiration
Table of Contents
“Less is more.” If you are a designer, you’ve certainly heard this before. If you’re not a designer, then you’ve heard that “simplicity is the greatest form of sophistication.“
More often than not, when brands effectively employ simplicity in their design and brand communication, it helps them deliver exquisiteness as well as help them stand out amidst the noise. And who doesn’t want to stand out?
Whether it is in your logo design, packaging design, website design, or advertisement, you can never go wrong with simplicity. So, how can you do that? First, you’re making your message clutter-free by omitting needless things. And that’s what minimalist design is.
As such, in a world of many, brands that require packaging for their products can employ minimalism to make their product stand out and appeal to customers in a unique way.
So, what’s Minimalist Packaging Design about?
SmashBrand defines minimalist packaging as when consumers perceive the design or package to be simple, clean, and less noisy than other products within its respective category. However, minimalist packaging design goes beyond just simple designs and neat packaging. It also involves deftly combining the environmental impact of your package and the usability and beauty of your package in a clever, reusable, unique package.
It is important to note here that, minimalist packaging design isn’t something to rush into. You need to understand your customers and what makes them tick. Although there’s no “correct” way to go about minimalist designs, it’s important to understand what feels “right” for your brand.
However, before going minimal, it is important to establish brand equity. This means that you need to have established experience in your customers’ minds, allowing them to recognize you. This means you have to know that minimalism isn’t synonymous with ambiguity. The primary goal is to be instantly understandable not confusing or puzzling. Explore some eco-friendly packaging design ideas.
Perks of Minimalist Packaging Designs
Less distracting
Your consumer can quickly grasp the onus of your business when you use minimal packaging. With minimalist packaging, you’re reductive with your design but not sparse. You use just enough elements to communicate your intentions.
Also, you’re not overwhelming your consumers with aesthetics, and prioritize your message. This can lead to increased sales as your readers can quickly move past all their objectives to make a purchase decision.
Reduce your carbon footprint
When you consider the environmental issues your product packaging might contribute, going minimal can be a way to reduce the environmental impact of your packaging effectively. With minimalist packaging design, you’re looking to enhance the life of your product packaging.
Save cost
Minimalism in product design is a proven way to reduce design and printing costs yet retain the aesthetic value of your packaging. This is because you remove unnecessary elements that would naturally cost more bucks to execute. Check out some amazing minimalist logo design ideas.
Best Practices for Minimalist Packaging Design
While there’s no “right” way to go about minimalist packaging designs, there are a few best practices to consider.
Use restraint
Restraint is the fundamental concept of minimal design. It involves reflecting only the most important elements in your design. For example, this would mean that you’re looking for creative ways to keep texts short or choosing images that carry serve multiple purposes.
Think of Twitter for example and its restraint in texts. You’ll have to only say things that are worthwhile. Translating this to minimalist design, you’ll have to use few typefaces, fewer colors, and shapes without compromising the aesthetic value of your package.
Select one focal element
In a minimalist packaging design, you want to avoid elements competing for consumers’ attention. For example, a high-resolution image of your product shouldn’t compete with your logo or the bright color of your packaging. There should be a single standout element that catches the consumer’s attention.
Use whitespace
Whitespace (negative space or blank) is that blank space around the primary design elements used to make the design more engaging. Whitespace makes the central focus of your package design more eye-catching. It also keeps your packaging design neat.
Consider the rule of thirds
The rule of thirds is a common visual language that means dividing your canvas into three equally sized horizontal and vertical sections. The idea is that this division would serve as a roadmap for your design.
With the rule of thirds, you can place the central visual element of your design in one grid or at the center as you deem fit.
Achieve Balance
In a minimalist approach, there’s a need to achieve symmetry in all the visual aspects of your design. This means that you should ensure that there is a sense of completion in the final outlook of your package design.
Look inside the box and break it
How can you go outside the norm with your packaging design without appearing eccentric? How can you say more with less? Can the image of your product replace a letter in your name design?
Minimalist packaging design is about how clever you can be clever your design. Try out different tweaks, new packaging shapes, and unconventional typefaces. Check how you can make the package less distracting or less heavy.
Utilize texture
The concept of texture is popular in minimalist packaging design nowadays. It’s the use of a locally selected packaging material or natural-appearing textures like grass or wood grain in your packaging design.
Using these sorts of textures in your packaging design instead of imagery can help you communicate volume without being overt.
Typography can speak volume
You’re probably familiar with the notion that pictures speak louder than words. While this is true, minimalist designs can take a different approach to make words speak louder than images.
In a minimalist approach, you can make your texts the focal point by playing with typography. Think of Unilever’s logo and how it mixes several symbols into a single letter. You can do that with your product packaging by making the product or brand name into a compelling art or image. You can as well choose to omit letters or place them in an unconventional format to show personality.
Make bold statements
You can convey a highly targeted brand message in an instantly understandable way with a minimalist product packaging. You can tell your consumers how eco-friendly your product is through the packaging.
You can choose to be direct by stating that your product is ”100% natural” and “safe for the environment” or allow your package design represent your intentions.
Minimal Packaging Materials
The primary objective of minimalist packaging is to save raw materials and increase the life of your product packaging through its reuse value and recycling rather than contributing to waste. As such, you have to be conscious of the materials you use.
Today, in the world of minimalist packaging, paper materials like Kraft and SBS or Solid Bleached Sulfate, as well as Canvas bags, are more common as they help reduce waste without compromising the safety of your products.
In addition to the materials, you should also consider the structure and final coatings of your packaging design. Make sure you’re opting got the most environmental-friendly option in the room.
Some minimalist packaging designs to inspire you
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a way to distinguish yourself from other brands in your industry, a minimalist approach is a good way. Dump the already saturated trends of loud designs and advertising and take your product packaging through the simple, cost-effective, yet aesthetically pleasing route of minimalism.
Also, in the face of rising environmental crises, minimal packaging design can be a great way to project your company’s concern for environmental issues. By using few materials (and recyclable ones at that), you’re reducing your carbon footprint and increasing the social credibility of your brand.
Ready to create your own minimalist packaging design?
If you don’t have an in-house product designer, let All Time Design help you.
We are confident that our designers at All Time Design can assist you in creating a standout minimal design for your packaging design at an affordable price.
Book a demo today!
